With a personal computer and an appropriate software package, a user can produce virtually any type of document that may be desired. For example, word processing software is used to produce text documents. Graphic design or computer-aided design software can be used to produce diagrams, charts, graphs, designs, etc. Frequently, it is desirable to generate a hardcopy of a document or data set that is produced or stored on a personal computer. Consequently, a wide variety of printers and printing devices have been developed that can receive a print job from a host computer and produce a hardcopy of the document or data represented by that print job.
As used herein and in the appended claims, the terms “printer” and “printing device” are defined to mean any device that produces a hardcopy from electronic data, including, but not limited to, laser printers, inkjet printers, dot matrix printers, plotters, facsimile machines, digital copiers, photocopiers, multi-function peripherals, and the like. A printer or printing device may produce images on a variety of print media that are in color or are monochromatic.
In order to produce hardcopy documents, a printer or printing device uses supplies of materials that are “consumed” as documents are printed. Such consumables include, for example, toner and print media. As used herein and in the appended claims, “toner” shall be broadly defined to include any material that is selectively distributed by a printer or printing device on a print medium to form an image. Thus, “toner” includes, but is not limited to, ink, toner, colorant, printing fluid, etc. “Print media” or a “print medium” shall be broadly defined as any medium on which a printer or printing device prints an image. For example, types of “print media” include, but are not limited to, paper, cardboard, card stock, transparencies, vinyl, etc.
As used herein and the appended claims, the term “consumable” shall be defined to mean any material consumed by a printing device to produce hardcopy documents. For example, a consumable may be toner and the disposable cartridge or container that contains the toner in the printing device. A consumable may also be a stack or supply of print media. In addition to toner and print media, a “consumable” may be any part or portion of a printer or printing device that is periodically replaced to allow the printer or printing device to continue producing printed hardcopy documents.
Some printers and printing devices allow a user or operator to obtain and view information about the printing device with a web browser. The web browser, using a connection to the Internet, accesses and displays a web page provided by a web server that is incorporated into the printing device. The printing device is also connected to the Internet. The web page or pages typically contain information about the printing device and may be stored in printing device memory for use by the printing device's web server.